Pittwater by-election: War of words breaks out over poster dirty tricks allegations

Allegations of dirty tricks and nastiness have added spice to what was once a polite political stoush between independent and Liberal candidates in one of Saturday’s state by-elections.

A photograph purporting to show a supporter of Jacqui Scruby, the independent candidate in this Saturday’s Pittwater state by-election, tearing down and binning campaign posters for Liberal candidate Georgia Ryburn.

A nasty war of words has broken out over political posters in what was a once polite contest for Saturday’s Pittwater by-election.

Independent candidate Jacqui Scruby’s team has placed placards underneath campaign posters for an opponent, declaring “GEORGIA RYBURN DOESN’T LIVE HERE!” — a reference to the Liberal contender living in another electorate.

But the decision to use the placards, mostly along major transport routes, has attracted an angry response from Ms Ryburn’s supporters.

Former Liberal Pittwater MP Rob Stokes described the move as the “nastiest personal attack” he had ever seen in Pittwater.

Ms Scruby’s supporters were also accused of dirty tricks by Liberal insiders after a volunteer was photographed purportedly tearing down and binning Ryburn campaign posters.

A man, wearing a Jacqui Scruby T-shirt, was seen removing the Liberal posters at Mona Vale and putting their remains in a plastic bucket.

A placard placed over campaign posters for Georgia Ryburn, the Liberal candidate in the Pittwater state by-election. Picture: Facebook

The Scruby camp has been telling people that the man was simply taking down posters that had been previously damaged and removing parts of them that had been scattered in a public area.

But Liberal insiders alleged the man was caught red-handed removing the posters for campaign purposes.

Liberal Pittwater by-election candidate Georgia Ryburn (left) handing out how-to-vote pamphlets alongside community independent Jacqui Scruby at Mona Vale on Wednesday. Picture: 7News

“They are just making excuses after they were caught out,” one said.

Ms Scruby, who has been pointing out during her campaign that her Liberal opponent does not live within the boundaries of the Pittwater electorate, confirmed her team had hung up the “Georgia Ryburn Doesn’t Live Here!” posters.

“I have put out a sign to correct the record that my opponent does not live in the electorate,” Ms Scruby told 7News.

“She cannot vote for herself.”

Independent by-election candidate Jacqui Scruby at the launch of her campaign on September 5. Picture: Supplied

Ms Ryburn, a former Northern Beaches Council deputy mayor, posted a photo of the placard on her campaign Facebook page, along with a sharp rebuke to her opponent.

“Let me be very clear. I live at Frenchs Forest (in a neighbouring electorate),” she wrote in the post.

“Whether you’ve lived on the Beaches for five years, or 50 years, if you call our community home, you’re a local.”

Georgia Ryburn, the Liberal candidate for Pittwater, maintains she is a local. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Mr Stokes, a close supporter of Ms Ryburn, described the posters as the “nastiest personal attack” he had encountered during involvement in Pittwater elections.

“I’ve just caught the B-Line and passed an appalling poster attacking Georgia Ryburn about how local she is,” he said.

“It’s the nastiest personal attack I’ve seen in 30 years of elections in Pittwater. And frankly, Pittwater does deserve better.”